Malaika

Abstract

Nearly a billion people worldwide call slums home. Because of the narrow set-up and the light material the houses are made of, slum communities are especially endangered to fires. A small fire that gets out of control can create an inferno, leaving hundreds or even thousands of families homeless.

Slums are home to thousands of people, but appear only as blank spots on the map. Without an official address, people live off the grid and are excluded from public services.

How can we help these communities to respond to fires and other dangerous situations themselves, if the government cannot provide for their safety?

Malaika is a slum safety service built around a smart alert system.

By subscribing to the service, people will be provided with a home safety device and
will receive their personal address – so they can be an official part of society.
They will commit and contribute to the community based safety network.